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Washington D.C. – A bill that would protect the Hermosa Creek watershed near Durango, Colorado took another step toward becoming law as it received a committee hearing Thursday morning.

The Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act (H.R. 1839/S. 841) was heard by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. The bipartisan bill is led by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).

The bill would protect 108,000 acres of important habitat for fish and big game, including the site of a successful and long-term cutthroat trout reintroduction project spearheaded by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. About 38,000 acres would be designated wilderness, and the rest would be protected through a series of special management areas, allowing for a variety of historic uses.

“This bill is completely supported by consensus from all stakeholders – everyone from county commissioners and town boards to sportsmen, miners, mountain bikers and motorized users – and thankfully, it continues to move through Congress with the help of our delegation and the support of this community,” said Ty Churchwell, Backcountry Coordinator for Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project. “We’re grateful to Rep. Tipton and Sen. Bennet for their leadership on this commonsense legislation."

The bill is one-of-a-kind, aimed at protecting an entire watershed as an intact, whole unit, rather than parts and pieces of it. A coalition of sportsmen’s conservation groups, guides and outfitters, fly shops and retailers, have united in support of protecting public land vital to America’s hunting and fishing traditions and values.